Governor discusses first phase of CARES Act plan

Gov. Tate Reeves discusses the first phase of distributing CARES Act funding.

BREAKING NEWS IN CAPITAL CITY INTHIS BUILDING ACROSS THE STREETFROM OUR BEAUTIFUL CAPITAL BUTALSO AS YOU GO OUT AND ACTUALLYMEET WITH OUR CONSTITUENTS ANDMEET WITH OUR ELECTED LEADERS SOTHAT WE’RE ALL ON THE SAME PAGE.THAT’S ONE OF THE THINGS THAT’SCRITICALLY IMPORTANT AT THISPHASE OF THE FIGHT AGAINST THISVIRUS IS THAT WE ARE ALL WORKINGTOGETHER PULLING IN THE SAMEDIRECTION FOR THE COMMON GOOD.WE KNOW THAT THIS VIRUS STILLEXISTS IN MANY OF OURCOMMUNITIES, BUT WE ALSO KNOWTHAT IN MANY RESPECTS THE CURVEIS FLATTENING.WE HAVE SEEN A LOT OF DISPARITYFROM ONE DAY TO THE NEXT INTERMS OF TOTAL NUMBER OF CASESAS YOU KNOW FROM THE LAST WEEKTHREE OF THE LAST FOUR DAYSWE’VE HAD LESS THAN 200 CASESAND THEN TODAY NOT SURPRISINGLY.IT SEEMS LIKE ON THURSDAYS ANDFRIDAYS WE TEND TO HAVE ANUPTICK IN IN THE NUMBER OF TESTSTHAT ARE REPORTED POSITIVE ANDTHAT WAS CERTAINLY THE CASETODAY.BUT IF YOU LOOK AT A THREE TOFIVE DAY ROLLING AVERAGE WE HAVECONTINUED TO STAY RELATIVELY.THAT IS NOT TO SAY THAT THINGSARE IMPROVING DRASTICALLY, BUTALSO THAT IS NOT TO SAY THATTHINGS ARE GETTING SIGNIFICANTLYWORSE.JUST GETTING WORSE IN CERTAINAREAS THAN IT IS IN OTHERS.THAT’S THE REASON THAT WE HAVEIMPLEMENTED THESE SEVEN COUNTIESSPECIFIC PLANS, AND WE’LL BEABLE TO CONTINUE TO TALK ABOUTTHAT.SHOULD THAT INTEREST YOU IN THEQUESTION AND ANSWER?I ALSO WANTED TO GIVE THE PEOPLEOF MISSISSIPPI AND UPDATE ONWHAT THE DEAL WAS THAT WASWORKED OUT WITH THE LEGISLATUREFOR THIS FIRST ROUND OF CARESACT ASSISTANCE FOR SMALLBUSINESSES.YOU HAVE HEARD ME TALK ABOUT OURPRIORITIES WITH RESPECT TO THECARES ACT AND I APPRECIATE THELEGISLATIVE LEADERSHIP AND ANDTHE WORK THAT THEY HAVE DONEOVE THE LAST SEVERAL WEEKS TOGET US TO THIS POINT.I MUST HAVE SAID IT AT LEAST 100DIFFERENT WAYS, BUT IT’S REALLYUNFAIR.DID THIS NATIONWIDE CRISIS?AND THE COST OF IT IS BEINGCARRIED BY THOSE SMALLBUSINESSES AND THEIR EMPLOYEESAGAIN.WALL STREET IS GOING TO BE JUSTFINE.MAIN STREET IS WHERE MY CONCERNIS MAIN STREET, MISSISSIPPI INPLACES LIKE NEW ALBANY IN PLACESLIKE MCGEE PLACES LIKE A MURRAY.PLACES LIKE THE MISSISSIPPIDELTA THE BIG GLOBAL COMPANIESARE GOING TO BE FINE.THE SMALL BUSINESSES THAT AREMISSISSIPPI BORN IN MISSISSIPPIBREAD ARE WHERE WE SHOULD FOCUSOUR EFFORTS.HERE’S WHAT WAS IN THE FIRSTDEAL.THREE HUNDRED MILLION DOLLARSFOR SMALL BUSINESSES TO SUPPORTTHEIR EMPLOYEES AND TO COVERCOST FROM BEING SHUT DOWN.IT’S BROKEN DOWN INTO TWO MAINSECTIONS.THERE’S ONE IMMEDIATE SOURCE OFSTABILIZATION THAT MOSTBUSINESSES THAT WERE INTERRUPTEDSHOULD BE ABLE TO GET THAT’SDIRECT PAYMENTS DIRECTLY TOSMALL BUSINESSES.IT WILL INVOLVE AS LITTLEPAPERWORK AS POSSIBLE.WE STILL HAVE TO ENSURE THAT WECOMPLY WITH FEDERAL TREASURYGUIDELINES.WE STILL HAVE TO ENSURE THAT WECOMPLY WITH THE LAW AS IT WASPASSED BY THE STATE LEGISLATURE,BUT THE GOAL WILL BE TO GETTHESE DOLLARS OUT AS QUICKLY ASPOSSIBLE.THEN SMALL BUSINESSES CAN GETADDITIONAL MONEY THROUGH WHATWE’RE CALLING THE BACK TOBUSINESS FUND YOU CAN GET UP TO$25,000 TO REIMBURSE THE COSTSTHAT YOU’VE INCURRED AND THEDAMAGE THAT HAS BEEN HAS BEENDONE DURING THIS TIME.ADMITTEDLY IT IS FOR SMALLBUSINESSES.NOT BIG ONES.YOU HAVE TO HAVE LESS THAN 50EMPLOYEES SAYS THE LAW.FOR THE FIRST 21 DAYS OF THEPROGRAM.IT’S RESERVED FOR BUSINESSES.THAT DID NOT GET PAYCHECKPROTECTION PROGRAM FUNDS THROUGHTHE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT.WE HAVE TO FILL IN THE GAPS.IT ALSO PROTECTS A CERTAINAMOUNT OF THE FUNDS FOR MINORITYOWNED BUSINESSES AT THE FRONTEND BECAUSE WE KNOW THATCOMMUNITY HAS BEEN HARDEST HITBY THE VIRUS.WE’LL GET A FINAL REVIEW OF THEBILL DONE IN THE COMING DAYSBEFORE WE SIGN IT AND THEN GETTO WORK ON THE APPLICATION.YOU’LL HAVE TO FILL OUT.THEN WE’LL GET THE FUNDS OUT ASQUICKLY AS POSSIBLE.NOW THAT THE LEGISLATURE HASDEBATED IT AND VOTED ON IT THISFIRST PART OF THE CARES ACTFUNDING.THERE IS A LOT MORE MONEY TO GETOUT AND NOT MUCH TIME TO DO IT,BUT I’M GLAD THAT WE WERE ABLETO GET THIS DONE MY PRIORITYFROM DAY ONE HAS BEEN THE QUICKRELEASE OF THESE FUNDS TO GET ITBACK TO THE PEOPLE WHO NEED IT.WE HAVE TO FOLLOW THE RULES THATTREASURY HAS SET FORTH AND WEHAVE TO FOLLOW THE LAWS AS THEYARE PASSED BY THE LEGISLATURE,BUT I’M HOPEFUL THAT IT CANHAPPEN SOON.IT WILL NEVER HAPPEN AS QUICK ASI’D LIKE, BUT I KNOW THAT WE’RETHROUGH THE FIRST PHASE OF THENEGOTIATING PROCESS.I’M GRATEFUL TO EVERYONE WHO GOTINVOLVED IN THIS FOR WORKINGTOGETHER TO GET THIS DONE FORTHE PEOPLE OF MISSISSIPPI.AT THIS TIME I WANT TO REMINDYOU THAT WE ARE GOING TO HAVE ALITTLE BIT OF AN OPPORTUNITY TOMAKE PEOPLE FEEL GOOD ABOUTTHEMSELVES PARTICULARLY THOSETHAT ARE IN THE CLASS OF 2020.I KNOW.THAT THIS SENIOR YEAR DID NOTEND FOR OUR HIGH SCHOOL SENIORSIN THE MANNER IN WHICH THEYWANTED IT TO IT.IT DID NOT END IN THE MANNER INWHICH I WANTED IT TO BUTSATURDAY AT 10 A.M.

WE’RE GOINGTO HAVE AN ONLINE GRADUATIONSERVICE FOR YOU.SO I WANT YOU TO GO TO MYFACEBOOK PAGE TUNE IN FOR MOREINFORMATION.YOU’RE GOING TO HAVE THEOPPORTUNITY TO PASS ALONG YOURNAME SO THAT I CAN ACTUALLY READIT OUT CONGRATULATE.YOU TELL ME IF YOU WERE THEVALEDICTORIAN.TELL ME IF YOU WERE THESALUTATORIAN.ERIN TELL ME WHAT SCHOOL YOU’REFROM GET YOUR FRIENDS AND YOURNEIGHBORS TO DO THE SAME ONE.I GOT GREAT.JOY AND GREAT PLEASURE FOR WEEKSON END DURING OUR SHELTER INPLACE ORDER WISHINGMISSISSIPPIANS A HAPPY BIRTHDAY.I WILL TELL YOU SATURDAY MORNINGAT 10:00.I’M GOING TO HAVE A GREAT BIGOLD SMILE ON MY FACE BECAUSE IKNOW THINGS HAVE BEEN DIFFICULTFOR OUR SENIOR CLASS.I WILL NEVER FORGET THEIR SENIORYEAR.I WILL NEVER FORGET THESACRIFICES THAT YOU’VE MADE ANDI LOOK FORWARD TO BRINGING.MAYBE JUST ONE OR TWO OR MAYBEMORE PEOPL